HEADLINES

Month: May 2015

West Notes: Broncos, Bennett, Rivers

May 26th, 2015 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos will have to make a call this week on whether or not they want to keep Antonio Smith on their roster as their organized team activities get underway, writes Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Smith is being investigated following a complaint of possible child abuse of a sexual nature, and while that’s a serious allegation, the defensive lineman has yet to be arrested or charged with a crime, so Denver’s decision isn’t as clear-cut as the one the Bears faced with Ray McDonald.

As we wait to see whether or not the Broncos decide to cut ties with Smith, let’s round up a few more notes out of the NFL’s two West divisions….

  • Russell Wilson, Jimmy Graham, and Cliff Avril won’t report immediately to the Seahawks‘ OTAs as they deal with various personal and family matters, according to Danny Neil of 710 ESPN Radio in Seattle (Twitter links). The more notable absence for Seattle is defensive end Michael Bennett, writes NFL.com’s Kevin Patra, citing ESPN Radio. The standout pass rusher suggested earlier this offseason that he wouldn’t mind reworking his contract, which he just signed a year ago.
  • Philip Rivers is in action for the Chargers as they begin their OTAs, but there hasn’t been much contract-related discussion between the two sides this month, tweets Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
  • Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf recently reiterated that she opposes the idea of spending any public funds on a new football stadium in the city, as Rachel Swan of SFGate.com details. For a new stadium to work for the Raiders in Oakland, a gap of about $400MM in financing would have to be closed somehow.

Cowboys Sign A.J. Jenkins

May 26th, 2015 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

12:07pm: The Cowboys have officially signed Jenkins, the team confirmed today in a press release.

11:53am: To make room on their roster for Jenkins, the Cowboys are waiving wide receiver Chris Boyd with an injured designation, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Boyd spent some time last season on Dallas’ practice squad before signing a reserve/futures contract with the team in January.

10:08am: After signing Darren McFadden earlier this offseason, the Cowboys are adding another former first-round offensive playmaker to their roster, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who tweets that A.J. Jenkins is signing with the team. Jenkins worked out for Dallas last week.

Like McFadden, Jenkins hasn’t lived up to his draft position so far in his NFL career, though the running back has at least seen plenty of playing time. After being selected 30th overall by the 49ers in 2012, Jenkins never recorded a single reception in San Francisco, and was traded to the Chiefs prior to the 2013 season. In two seasons in Kansas City, the Illinois product grabbed just 17 balls, and was cut back in February along with Donnie Avery.

While the Cowboys may still see some upside in Jenkins, it’s also possible that he’ll simply be a camp body, and won’t make the cut when teams reduce their rosters from 90 players to 53 at the end of the preseason.

Jenkins also worked out for the Jets this month.

Tashaun Gipson Not Attending Browns’ OTAs

May 26th, 2015 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

The Browns’ organized team activities get underway today, and one notable defender won’t be in attendance. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via NFL.com’s Marc Sessler), safety Tashaun Gipson doesn’t intend to report to the team’s second round of offseason workouts. Gipson also skipped the first portion of the club’s voluntary spring program.

As I noted earlier this month when I provided an update on this year’s restricted free agent class, Gipson is the only RFA who appears demonstratively unhappy with his contract situation. After receiving a second-round tender from Cleveland, the safety has yet to sign that one-year offer, and is seeking a long-term contract, according to Rapoport.

Gipson, 24, has a stronger résumé than most players who become restricted free agents after their first three NFL seasons. Over the last two years, the Wyoming product has started 26 games for the Browns, racking up 146 tackles during that stretch and showing a knack for coming up with big plays — he has grabbed 11 interceptions during the last two seasons, returning two of them for touchdowns. Despite playing just 11 games in 2014, Gipson earned a Pro Bowl nod.

If Gipson wants to play hardball with the Browns, he’s in a decent position to do so. Because he remains unsigned, he could skip the team’s mandatory minicamp and decline to report to training camp without risking a fine. Still, it would be a surprise if Gipson’s holdout extended into the regular season, since another strong year would put him in line for a nice payday in 2016, when he’s eligible for unrestricted free agency.

NFC North Notes: Ihedigbo, Peterson, Bears

May 26th, 2015 at 9:40am CST by Luke Adams

Here’s the latest out of the NFC North, as a handful of teams’ OTAs around the league get underway….

  • Safety James Ihedigbo, who is seeking a new contract, will report to the Lions‘ offseason workouts today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). Birkett adds that Ihedigbo will be at the team’s OTAs and minicamp, presumably as a show of good faith as he attempts to work out a new deal.
  • Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) clears up some misinformation about Adrian Peterson‘s contract with the Vikings, pointing out that the running back has to participate in the team’s entire OTA and minicamp programs to earn his $250K bonus — not just 90% of those activities, as has been reported elsewhere. Either way, it appears Peterson will forfeit that bonus money, as he did back in 2012 (Twitter link).
  • One reason the Bears were willing to roll the dice on Ray McDonald this offseason was the fact that he was a tremendous on-field fit for Vic Fangio‘s scheme, having played under the defensive coordinator in San Francisco. Now that McDonald is no longer in the mix in Chicago, the club will have to turn to Plan B. Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com and John Mullin of CSNChicago.com examine what that backup plan might look like.

Patriots To Sign Dane Fletcher

May 26th, 2015 at 8:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Patriots are bringing back a familiar face, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that linebacker Dane Fletcher is signing a one-year contract to return to New England. Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com first noted (via Twitter) that Fletcher was in attendance for the start of the team’s OTAs today.

Fletcher, 28, spent four years with the Pats before signing with the Buccaneers as a free agent a year ago. Appearing in all 16 games for Tampa Bay, Fletcher recorded 41 tackles and 0.5 sacks in 2014. While the linebacker logged 358 defensive snaps, he also contributed significantly on special teams, racking up 11 of his tackles in kick and punt coverage.

Reiss reported earlier this month, after Fletcher paid a visit to the Patriots, that there was a “good chance” the former Buc would end up signing with New England. By waiting until after May 12 to complete a deal, the Pats will ensure that Fletcher doesn’t count against their compensatory draft pick formula for 2016.

East Notes: Hardy, Dolphins, Jets

May 25th, 2015 at 9:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel looked at the fine print of Ryan Tannehill‘s contract with the Dolphins and found that the total value is actually $95.3MM, not $96MM, as previously reported. The deal also protects the Dolphins in case they want to get out from under it. As Kelly notes, executive VP Dawn Aponte is keen on such protections, and that’s how they shed deals with Mike Wallace, Dannell Ellerbe, Philip Wheeler, Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, Randy Starks, Shelley Smith and Cortland Finnegan this offseason.

Here’s a look at the AFC and NFC East..

  • In a recent chat, a reader asked Bob Sturm of The Dallas Morning News if he thinks the Cowboys will be able to afford Greg Hardy if he gets his suspension reduced and has a phenomenal (partial) season. If Hardy goes back to being a force who averages a sack per game, then he might price himself out of range for the Cowboys. Also, the presence of Randy Gregory might lessen their need for Hardy.
  • There are several battles to watch on the Dolphins‘ roster, from jostling at the top of the depth chart to struggles over roster spots, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. At offensive guard, free agent pickups J.D. Walton, Jeff Linkenbach and Jacques McClendon are likely viewed as depth, with McClendon in particular far from a cinch to make the roster. Running back is also a position to watch as LaMichael James and Mike Gillislee are gunning for the fourth RB spot, though it’s not guaranteed that Miami will carry three backs.
  • The Jets‘ hiring of former Packers scout Lee Gissendaner is another great move by the team, Gil Brandt of NFL.com tweets. Gissendaner will serve as a national college scout for Gang Green.

Extra Points: Roethlisberger, McDonald, Lions

May 25th, 2015 at 8:27pm CST by Zachary Links

A quick look around the NFL..

  • Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has to succeed in a few areas of his game in order to justify his hefty $99MM deal, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler writes. For starters, he’ll have to improve his turnover numbers in the playoffs as he has a career 21-to-19 TD to INT ratio. He’ll also have to build on his continuity with Todd Haley and help to make the team’s younger players better. Martavis Bryant, Markus Wheaton, and Sammie Coates are all believed to possess serious upside and it’s up to Big Ben to ensure that they reach their potential.
  • The fault lies with Ray McDonald, not the people in the Bears organization who gave him one more chance, John Mullin of CSNChicago.com writes. In fact, Mullin credits owner George McCaskey for sending out a strong accountability message to his players by dropping McDonald after his most recent arrest.
  • Undrafted linebacker Kevin Snyder could be an intriguing prospect for the Lions, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. Snyder showed promise while he was at Rutgers, but he didn’t shine in 2014 as he played through a painful turf toe injury. Rutgers position coach Bob Fraser convinced Lions linebackers coach Bill Sheridan to take a chance on the youngster. “I said, ‘Bill, look, I really think if the guy is going to make your squad, he’s going to be a good special teams guy because he can run, he’s big and people don’t understand he had this turf toe which slowed him down,’” Fraser said. “He couldn’t push off. So sometimes he couldn’t hit people. He couldn’t plant off it and push, and that’s hard to do out there. That’s not the easiest thing for a linebacker, you know.”

Reactions To Ray McDonald’s Release

May 25th, 2015 at 7:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, defensive lineman Ray McDonald was arrested after another apparent domestic violence incident. Hours later, the Bears made a rare Memorial Day move and released McDonald from his contract. Here’s a look at the latest reactions to the biggest story of the day..

  • McDonald’s attorney, Steve Defilippis, told Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter) that the accuser in the case stemming from McDonald’s arrest Monday morning is McDonald’s former fiance, who was the alleged victim when McDonald was arrested last August. Defilippis told Anderson that he is still gathering information on what transpired and he strongly indicated that his client might be innocent of the charges.
  • Former Bears teammate Kyle Long didn’t mince words on Twitter. “Good riddance,” the offensive guard tweeted.
  • The Bears need to be punished for their lackadaisical fact-finding efforts prior to signing McDonald, Nancy Armour of USA Today Sports opines. Armour feels that the Bears should lose a draft pick or two and that GM Ryan Pace and owner George McCaskey should both face suspensions for their decision not to sit down with McDonald’s alleged victim. “An alleged victim, I think – much like anybody else who has a bias in this situation – there’s a certain amount of discounting in what they have to say,” McCaskey said at the time.
  • The risk versus reward ratio was not worth it for the Bears to sign McDonald, Dan Pompei of WSCR-AM tweets. McDonald is no Lawrence Taylor, so he was simply not worth the gamble in Pompei’s estimation. Given where it has been, Pompei (link) feels the Bears locker room needed leaders and men who do things the right way.
  • The San Jose address at which McDonald was arrested is that of a house that belongs to ex-49ers teammate Justin Smith, according to property records viewed by Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com. Smith has not been implicated in the incident in any way, however.
  • Bail has been set at $15K for McDonald at Santa Clara County Jail on misdemeanor domestic violence and child endangerment charges, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter).

Latest On Tom Brady, DeflateGate

May 25th, 2015 at 6:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Tom Brady‘s appeal for his role in DeflateGate won’t be determined by Wednesday’s 10-day deadline, two people familiar with the situation tell Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press. The collective bargaining agreement calls for appeals to be scheduled within ten days of filing, but the league and the NFLPA can agree on delaying the hearing.

It’s not immediately clear why the hearing has been held off. One could speculate that the holiday weekend has delayed the process somewhat. There could also be out-of-hearing discussions between the two parties, though it’s hard to see a settlement coming together right now given the ugliness that has transpired over the last couple of weeks.

Brady is contesting a four-game suspension handed to him for his role in the Patriots’ scandal. The team is also paying a rather stiff penalty that includes $1MM in fines and the loss of two draft picks, one of which is a first-round selection.

 

Eric Weddle Won’t Attend OTAs

May 25th, 2015 at 5:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Chargers safety Eric Weddle won’t be in attendance for OTAs on Tuesday as he pushes for an extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Pro Bowl safety aired his frustrations with the team earlier this month and it sounds like there hasn’t been much progress made, if any.

“I’m not coming in anytime soon until something on their side is said,” Weddle told 1090 AM a few weeks ago. “They know where we’re at, and they obviously know their stance, so we’ll see what happens from there.”

Weddle is scheduled to make $7.5MM in base salary in the final year of a five-year, $40MM deal, making him the fourth-highest paid safety in terms of total compensation in 2015. In late April, GM Tom Telesco indicated that he wanted to work out a new deal with the veteran, though his full attention was turned towards the draft at the time.

Weddle, 30, has been the Chargers’ starting safety since 2008 and he has not missed a regular season start since the 2009 season. In 2014, Weddle racked up 114 total tackles with eight pass deflections and one interception. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Weddle as the best overall safety in the NFL last season with a 18.9 overall score.

On Sunday night we learned that another NFL notable, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, will not be in attendance for the start of his team’s OTAs.

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